EAA Foundation Condemns School Attacks in Sudan and Cambodia
Education Above All (EAA) Foundation strongly condemns the recent attacks on education in Sudan and Cambodia, which have caused devastating harm to children, teachers, and entire communities. These attacks undermine the safety and continuity of learning and represent grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
In Sudan, attacks on a pre-school and hospital in South Kordofan region killed more than 100 people, including 46 children who were attending the pre-school. The ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023, has displaced over 12.4 million people, half of them children, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 10,000 schools have shut down, while 2,100 schools are now serving as shelters, leaving an estimated 14 million children out of formal schooling.
In Cambodia, all schools in Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear province, have closed due to attacks amid the intensifying Cambodia-Thailand border conflict. According to Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, about 377 schools have been temporarily suspended in four border provinces, disrupting learning for more than 78,500 students and 3190 teachers.
EAA Foundation emphasises that such attacks constitute a serious breach of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which both Sudan and Cambodia have ratified, and violate the fundamental right of every child to safe, quality education.
Commenting on the incidents, Maleiha Malik, Executive Director of the Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict Programme, said: “A deliberate attack on a kindergarten where small children should be safe to learn and play is deplorable and, if deliberate, constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law and a war crime. Education is an essential right for all learners and must never become a casualty of conflict. We call on all parties to uphold international obligations, protect children’s lives, and safeguard the right to learn.”
The repeated patterns of violence in Sudan continue to devastate essential services, leaving children without access to food, education, healthcare, or safety. In Cambodia, the fragility of the education system, already affected by resource shortages, high dropout rates, and unequal access, particularly in rural and marginalised communities, puts thousands of learners at heightened risk of permanently leaving school.
Education Above All Foundation has supported more than 18.5 million children and youth in accessing quality education and economic opportunities. EAA Foundation remains committed to protecting the right to education in regions affected by conflict, poverty, and climate crises.
For more information, contact EAA Media Specialists.
